Strong Early Reviews For "Edge of Tomorrow"

The new Tom Cruise sci-fi war movie "Edge of Tomorrow" has been screened for various critics and has drawn mostly praise.

Many reviews so far have been glowing about the Doug Liman-directed film with its apparent strengths being not just the clever exploitation of its "Groundhog Day meets Starship Troopers" style premise, but also the sheer fun and playfulness it offers - something not really on display in the very serious toned trailers.

Most of the debate over it seems to be more about the third act, and more specifically the ending being a slight drop in quality as to what comes before. Here's some choice quotes on the film:

"A cleverly crafted and propulsively executed sci-fi thriller... this enjoyably gimmicky entertainment is not only one of Cruise's better recent efforts, it's also arguably the most purely pleasurable film Doug Liman has directed in the 12 years since 'The Bourne Identity'..." - Justin Chang, Variety

"A delightfully entertaining and amusing romp under the guise of a very serious science-fiction action epic. The film is a genuine inventiveness that exposes a genuine playfulness all-too-rare in conventional big-budget would-be blockbusters..." - Scott Mendelson, Forbes

"'Tomorrow' is just as effective as a straight-up summer action movie as it dodges the trend of taking the dark and dire route one might expect from what is basically a war movie and induces a healthy dose of humor and fun. Much of that comes from how Cage deals with his situation and changes things each time re-experiences them, but it's also surprisingly fun to watch him get killed over and over, sometimes in very dark ways..." - Ed Douglas, Coming Soon

"We've seen Cruise on this jerk-to-gem path before, although this film seems almost cannily designed to draw in ticket buyers who are fed up with the actor. 'Don't like Tom Cruise?' the film seems to be offering, 'Come watch him get killed over and over again!'..." - Alonso Duraide, The Wrap

"Liman's movie moves fast, and not only because it has a ton of set pieces, but also a sharp sense of humor. It's obvious what jokes McQuarrie wrote, because his voice is unquestionably present in the film. His sly style adds more character to an already energetic, propulsive, and charismatic summer blockbuster..." - Jack Giroux, Film School Rejects

"The Tom Cruise affinity with sci-fi action films shows no sign of abating and he is in playfully good form in Doug Liman’s engagingly freewheeling futuristic romp that is essentially a coming together of Groundhog Day and Aliens. It is big, bold and breezy entertainment that moves at a cracking pace and offers plenty of fun to balance the sci-fi excesses..." - Mark Adams, Screen Daily

"After a bit of a slow start, Liman launches us into a war that is gut-rattling in its violence and awe-inspiring in its execution, seamless special effects and action, action, action. Tied to a hero who is initially gutless, we can connect to Cage's fear. When Cruise shifts him into the kind of hero we demand of this megastar, we are hooked hard into this rip-roaring ride..." - Kristy Puchko, Cinema Blend

"Although the humor helps, the Groundhog Day-like repetition gets tedious; it makes you feel more like a hamster than a groundhog - or rather a hamster's wheel, going round and round, over and over again..." - Todd McCarthy, THR